It has been a difficult year for the Deputy President of South Africa's ruling ANC (African National Congress), since he was sacked as Deputy President of South Africa by President Thabo Mvuyelwa Mbeki earlier this year. Today, Zuma was formally charged with rape.
The Deputy President of the ANC enjoys enormous support from ordinary people in Soweto and this might suggest that it is a pattern around other townships as well. There is a general feeling that this is a political conspiracy against Jacob Zuma who is better known by his traditional clan name Msholozi, particularly in his province of birth, KwaZulu Natal. The general feeling that informs the masses of people that there is a political conspiracy against Msholozi is because he aspires to succeed Thabo Mbeki as South Africa's next president. And since he is Zulu by birth right, there is a feeling that this is held against him by the mainly Xhosa ruling party. Also people feel that he is being brought down by his association with Schabir Shaik, and has not been given his fair day in court.
Zuma has firm support among the mainly unemployed and working class people of Soweto. He stole the hearts of many Sowetans when he addressed a rally at the Dube Hostel just before last year's general elections. He is particularly remembered for the phrase, "The ANC will rule until Jesus comes."
Here in the townships there have been two idioms going around one in Setswana “Se sesa feleng se a thlola”- Mortal life without an end is a curse, taken in the sense that his problems will come to an sooner or later. The other is Isizulu “Inxeba le ndoda ali hlekwa”- Do not make fun or laugh at another man's wound. Setswana and Isizulu are indigenous languages here in South Africa. These idioms have been mentioned mostly by elderly man in their social circles in a sense of empathy for what the Deputy President of the ANC is going through.
What is also interesting is that a lot of women lekgotlas (organisations) including the local ANC womens league in the townships seem to be mum about the Jacob Zuma’s allegations of rape. This, as our country also commemorates 16 days of activism against the abuse of women and children. It is surprising that these women's groups have not spoken out against the rape charge.
It will be interesting to see how this all plays out as our country moves towards the third local government elections since democracy in 1994, which are being held early next year.
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